EDU 236 - Culturally Responsive Instruction

1 credit hour - Three hours weekly; five weeks.
Examines the philosophy of education that is multicultural and its relevance and connection to student achievement for all learners. Examines strategies to infuse education that is multicultural into curriculum, instruction, assessment, school climate and instructional materials selection. Identifies individual cultural attitudes, teaching styles, learning styles and classroom practices as preparation for better addressing the needs of students. Research from state and national resources identifying “best practices” will be explored to identify strategies, practices and principles that assist in eliminating gaps among student groups and accelerating student achievement.

Note: Typically offered OL; fall term.

Course Outcomes:

Explore individual cultural experiences and identify how they impact the learning environment of students.
- Define the term culture and how it impacts student learning.
- Describe mainstream American culture and how it shapes teaching and learning.
- Explore factors of personal cultural identity.
Analyze instructional materials and texts, modes of communication and teaching/ learning strategies for cultural bias.
- Become aware of some of the forms of bias in curricular and instructional materials.
- Examine instructional materials for biases, including invisibility, stereotyping, imbalance, unreality, fragmentation/ isolation, and linguistic patterns.
- Identify classroom practices and methods of communication that may be problematic for members of various cultures.
Design an instructional lesson (or unit) plan that includes strategies that support the tenets of an education that is multicultural, differentiated instruction, diverse learning styles, multiple intelligences, and multiple perspectives.
- Define and use terminology related to learning styles and differentiated instruction and explain their relevance to differentiation of instruction and student learning.
- Understand learning styles theory and how it applies to students from diverse backgrounds.
- Use formal/ informal learning style assessments to ascertain the teacher and students’ learning styles.
- Identify the multiple intelligences and the benefits to the diverse learner.
- Use a variety of assessment tools to identify their students’ multiple intelligences and their own.
- Incorporate assessment strategies into lesson plan activities that capitalize on students’ learning styles.
Describe a student from a culture different from their own and describe three instructional strategies that are responsive to the student’s cultural background.
- Review current research regarding cultural proficiency.
- Define the essential elements of cultural proficiency at a personal level and an institutional level.
- Discuss how the deficit model of teaching and low student expectations can arise from unrecognized gaps in students’ and teachers’ cultural backgrounds.
- Identify strategies that are culturally responsive to diverse students.